


before crossing

by spoke



Category: Watership Down - Richard Adams
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:24:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spoke/pseuds/spoke





	before crossing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wasuremono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wasuremono/gifts).



At some point in Fiver’s dreams, it becomes apparent that he’s having a visitor. This ghost-rabbit who hovers on the edge of his consciousness seems familiar, though as the years have wandered on the oldest memories have become less distinct. They run in the fields, morning silflay in the silver-white of the dawn.

He wants to go somewhere, but Fiver leaves him to it and waits for the sun, every time.

It takes some few visits for Fiver to realize the other rabbit wants him for a companion, that he’s come to take him away and is somewhat frustrated that Fiver won’t come. But he isn’t El-ahrairah, and for all that his way seems interesting, (through the leaves, through the wind, into the rivers) it also seems dangerous.

It isn’t El-ahrairah’s way, isn’t the sun...

It comes to him slowly that it’s the moon, and those parts of the other side that the lord of rabbits doesn’t command. Fiver wakes one night in its darkest hours with a gleaming shape in front of him, and whispers with some compassion, “Hello Silverweed. Thank you all the same, but no.”

There must have been some finality in his voice, because the other rabbit vanishes. That is the last of dreams of the night. The next time he dreams of anything connected to the other side, in fact, it is the sun.


End file.
